


sleeper hit

by brandyalexanders



Series: macdennis 30+ day challenge [4]
Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Sleepy Cuddles, i have no idea what this is, no real angst but maybe if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-23
Updated: 2016-01-23
Packaged: 2018-05-15 17:20:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5793262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brandyalexanders/pseuds/brandyalexanders
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Officially he decides that he’s woken up in a bizarro version of his own world, because the blinds should be shut and Mac should definitely not be in bed with him.</i>
</p><p>days 02, 30: cuddling and pillow talk (kinda).</p>
            </blockquote>





	sleeper hit

Dennis wakes up and his first thought is that he feels like he’s choking. He wonders if he’s still asleep, stuck in a drowning dream or some other nightmare. Though, he thinks, if he _was_ having a nightmare, he probably wouldn’t be so aware of it. When he opens his eyes he has to blink away the sensitivity. It’s bright, unusually so. Dennis wakes up hungover more often than not and he’s become an expert at closing the blinds in his bedroom while he’s less than sober just so that he doesn’t exacerbate his splitting headache first thing in the morning. He curses at himself from last night for forgetting and rolls over in bed.

The pressure on his chest is gone in an instant, the dull shock of it replaced with a near heart attack as Dennis comes face to face with Mac. He raises his hands from under the covers and rubs his eyes until his vision recalibrates. Officially he decides that he’s woken up in a bizarro version of his own world, because the blinds should be shut and Mac should definitely not be in bed with him.

He shakes Mac’s shoulder and Mac groans at him. 

“You have to leave, Mac,” he mumbles. 

Mac, annoyingly, drapes his arm back over Dennis and whispers something back. “Shh, go back to sleep.” Dennis rolls his eyes. He wants to get up and leave, but there’s no way he’s letting Mac stay in his bed all day. Mac steals all his shit anyways. He has to put his foot down somewhere.

If he shuts his eyes again, it’s because the sunlight is bothering him. Mac has him trapped under his weight anyways. He resigns himself to laying down.

*

One night Mac insists that they have a marathon of all the Rocky movies, because spending twelve hours on a couch with each other is all they can do. Dee is going on a date, which they will mock her endlessly for in the morning, and Frank and Charlie are out with their friends from under the bridge. Dennis had hung up the phone right after Charlie had invited them to come along. 

Mac announces his presence when Dennis hears him fiddling with the lock. It’s taking him far too long. Dennis goes and unlocks the door for him; Mac jumps a little, surprised. He gets over it and smiles at Dennis, the big dumb smile he seems to reserve for his best friend. “Got the popcorn, dude,” he says, shaking the box of microwave popcorn. Dennis steps sideways so Mac can come inside. 

“And the movies?” 

“Right here.” There’s a plastic bag in his left hand, as well as his apartment key, Dennis notes. He takes the popcorn from Mac and shuts the door with his hip. Their routine is easy: Mac gets a blanket and messes with the DVD player while Dennis hovers around the microwave until the timer goes off. They meet up on the couch just before Mac gets the movie to play. Then Dennis sits with his legs tucked underneath him, and Mac sits curled up on the other side of the couch.

Mac always pays for everything with Dennis’ money, so Dennis thinks it’s only fair that the majority of the movie snacks are delegated to him. Mac complains. Dennis tells him to get another job. 

Dennis gets up to put in the disc for Rocky III. He gives Mac a pointed stare. “And while we’re on the subject, share some of the blanket with me. I think I bought that too.”

“Aw, come on. It’s cold.” 

“Body heat,” Dennis says, and sits in the middle seat so he can nestle under the blanket. He notices Mac freeze up but he lets it go without saying anything. Mac scoots over and settles closer to Dennis. 

“You’re taking all of it from me, Den,” he sighs. “I have no room.” 

“Then go and get another one.” Dennis turns his head and watches Mac, the huffy pout he’s got on, his long eyelashes. He’s warm under the blanket. Their legs are pressed together, and, Dennis realizes, their shoulders are too. He tries to concentrate on the movie, but really, he got lost halfway through Rocky II, and Mac is yawning, and Dennis is reminded of that morning in his bed. He yawns too. 

When the credits start rolling, Mac rests his head on Dennis’ shoulder. “You wanna watch the next one?” 

Dennis thinks, _yes, if you want to_. Dennis says, “I can’t switch the DVDs out if you’re going to hang all over me.” Mac answers by sitting up straight. Dennis doesn’t really look at him, but when he gets up he thinks he’s blushing. 

He goes back to his seat and Mac is still rigid. It only takes him half of the movie to fall asleep for real, slumped against Dennis’ arm. Dennis doesn’t get up again. 

*

Dee won’t close the bar, so Mac and Dennis agree to do it as long as she opens. They give her a hard time for it but she’s out the door by midnight, leaving the two of them alone with the (very small) handful of customers they get late at night. 

Mac kicks them out at two, and then he opens a beer for each of them. They sit in silence and drink until Dennis tosses his empty bottle in the trash that has to go out. “I’m tired,” he says, addressing Mac a little louder than he has to. “Let’s clean and get out of here.” 

Mac stays behind the bar and does inventory, checks the register; Dennis wipes down tables and booths and hauls some of the garbage out back. Once he's outside he leans against the brick wall and wishes he had a cigarette. He doesn’t smoke, not all the time, but it feels appropriate. Besides, he could use something to warm him up. It’s cold enough that his breath looks like smoke every time he breathes out. 

He’s watching the air around him form and break apart so intently that Mac’s hand on his bicep startles him.

“Yeah?” There’s irritation in his tone but Mac doesn’t seem to notice. 

He takes his hand back and Dennis misses it. “I finished up in there, so we can go.” Neither of them move. “So what are you doing back here?” he asks, propping himself up next to Dennis with one shoulder. 

Dennis shivers. He can’t see, really. There’s moonlight but it’s weak and his eyes still haven’t adjusted to the difference. “I don’t know, Mac. I wanna smoke.” 

“I wish you wouldn’t.”

“Yeah, well.” He kicks at the dirt in the alley, the broken glass and pebbles and who knew what else. “I don’t have anything anyways.” 

He faces Mac and almost asks if he’s ready to go. Mac pulls on the collar of his shirt and kisses his lips before he can say anything at all. Dennis doesn’t know how to react. He’s too stunned to dart away, so he stands there with Mac until he takes a step back. 

Mac is talking fast, apologizing, filling the new space between them with _sorry, Dennis, I just wanted to see, I’m sorry_. He backs up even further, towards the heavy door that will take him back inside and away from the situation. Dennis is Mac’s ride home. He watches Mac and reaches out to grab his wrist.

“Stop,” he orders simply. Mac falls silent.

It’s still for a second, and dead quiet. If Dennis got any closer, he could push him up against the wall. Dennis could do a lot of things, really. He chooses to pull Mac towards him, tugging at his wrist. “Do it again,” he says, holding eye contact with Mac, who hesitates for just a second before kissing him. Dennis kisses back properly. He bites his lip and sucks it into his mouth, and Mac wraps their fingers together, their hands slack in between them. 

Dennis ducks his head and rests his forehead against Mac’s. He pants for a minute. Everything’s all out of focus, and when he separates entirely, his world is narrowed down to the rise of Mac’s chest, the swollen red of his lips. 

He sighs. Mac is grinning, chin tucked against his chest. “Cut it out,” Dennis says, just to say something. His cheeks feel flushed. If he's blushing, Mac will never let him hear the end of it. He looks in the direction that he parked. “Are you ready to go?” 

Without waiting for an answer, Dennis fishes his key from his pocket and locks the door with one hand. He starts off for the car and Mac is forced to follow because their fingers are still laced together, tight and comfortable. 

*

Dennis lays on his back at four in the morning and tries to sleep. He’s counted everything from sheep to beer bottles to black RIOT t-shirts and is just about to give up when the door to his room opens. 

“Den?” Mac is soft, and he closes the door carefully. Dennis sits up just a little. He doesn’t really reply, just makes a noise in recognition. “Can I sleep in here?”

Even while he asks, Mac is already climbing into the bed. Dennis lifts the blanket up for him. He lays right next to Dennis, pulling the covers up over his shoulder. 

“Of course you can,” Dennis says belatedly. He feels around until he finds Mac’s hand and he thinks Mac smiles at him but it’s too dark to tell. Tired, he rolls onto his side. His eyes are just closing when Mac pecks his lips. 

“Goodnight,” he murmurs, squeezing Dennis’ hand. Dennis squeezes back. 

“Get some rest, dude,” he says, and kisses Mac’s nose, and follows his own advice.

**Author's Note:**

> this was just gonna be a collection of cuddling ficlet things but it ended up being... whatever this is... maybe ooc but i just want my kids to be happy :/


End file.
